


lost in your grace

by lakshmi



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Patch 5.3: Reflections in Crystal Spoilers, i do be loving mythology tho, persephone undertones, they're in love...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:40:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29346756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lakshmi/pseuds/lakshmi
Summary: ‘ azem, ‘ he calls. he cannot keep the smile from his voice. ‘ you’ve returned. ‘hades cannot resist the pull — he draws near, towering over her seated form. he, too, reaches into the river, finding her hand beneath the surface and takes it, removing their joined fingers from the water. the air is tepid compared to the feeling of souls washing over their skin; even he shivers after encountering so many.‘ it seems i have. ‘
Relationships: Azem/Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	lost in your grace

he finds her by the river. 

the countenance of azem is bathed in starlight, flickering and brightening with aether’s flow of a thousand thousand souls, drifting abed the sea. to witness this flicker in time is a gift; these same souls will never meet this bend of the river again. the shepard is attendant to the passage of stars among ancients — small, significant, celestial steps echoing in the halls of giants. _they, too, will walk those floors._

emet-selch gazes on as she dips a hand in those petulant waters, braving the frigid waters of death’s clutches to sate her own curiosity. azem was in no danger; they could not _die,_ not in the same manner lesser creations could. despite this, he frets. 

‘ azem, ‘ he calls. he cannot keep the smile from his voice. ‘ you’ve returned. ‘ 

the traveler raises her head. moonlight graces her form with delicate tendrils down what is visible of her face, crowning void-pitch tresses in a halo of silver. she smiles with the warmth of one possessed of the sun herself; perhaps she is, with such ability to speak without words and yet clear as the waters below. 

hades cannot resist the pull — he draws near, towering over her seated form. he, too, reaches into the river, finding her hand beneath the surface and takes it, removing their joined fingers from the water. the air is tepid compared to the feeling of souls washing over their skin; even he shivers after encountering so many. 

‘ it seems I have. ‘ 

he returns his gaze to her countenance. her gentle smile brings heat to his face; emet-selch feels he pales in comparison to her radiance. she fairly gleams in the light of the sun on the surface and he is cast in shadow, witness to soul after soul’s journey through the sunless sea of stars. perhaps the waters would not be frigid if they too were blessed in the brush of her warmth. 

‘ how fared your journey, shephard? ‘ hades frames her face with the backs of his fingers, drawing them down and over the crest of her jaw until they rest under her chin, tilting her gaze. 

azem turns her face into his touch. she regards him with starlit eyes of crystalline blue that seem to strike directly into heart, as if she could be spectator to the war that raged between beats of flesh within his chest. he imagines she could, with her tenacity and tendency to be simply and _utterly_ difficult. but if she were witness to his heart’s action in this quiet moment -- 

_well._

‘ ‘twas too lengthy, I think. I was gone long enough to miss you. ‘ azem admits. ‘ I understand the necessity of such trips, of course -- but i cannot help but hope for a few days of respite. I fear i am becoming old. ‘ she laughs, it’s like the sun; he basks in her refulgence and draws her close. 

tucked against his chest, azem can feel the steady pulse beneath his ribs, the vibrations of his lungs as he inhales -- she has missed this feeling of safety within his arms. few and fewer are allowed to so much as come _near_ the revered shepherd of the stars, let alone touch. emet -- _hades_ alone is allowed this honor. 

‘ old in your wisdom, _perhaps_ , and nothing more. ‘ he comments. hades will not admit he felt the loss of her presence keenly; even hythlodaeus deigned to comment on his emotional state. he sighs into her hair, inhales the scent of cedar smoke and vanilla. _just like home._ ‘ would you allow me to accompany you back to amaurot? ‘ 

‘ and further. ‘ she pulls back, and smiles once more. she is heaven, and he is lost in her graces.

-

it is long past nightfall when the two figures reach their destination. azem had _intended_ to sleep in her own bed -- emet-selch insisted upon treating her to the comforts of his well-kept apartment. she could not find it in herself to complain; her host was gracious, and it meant she did not have to face a fortnight-left-alone home with her weary bones. besides, she had missed the company of another in her bed. 

_his_ bed is lush in sanguine silks, arms strong around her where she rests against his chest. azem is undressed from the waist down, save for one of emet’s shirts draped over her slight shoulders. he is in a similar state himself; he had sorely missed her company and the warmth of her skin. 

she traces constellations on his collarbones -- _gemini, leo --_ and presses her lips to his sternum. when she raises her head, she sees hades regarding her with utter adoration; a gaze she could only describe as _far_ too tender, coming from him. he is the most relaxed azem has ever seen him. hades lifts a hand and tucks her hair behind her ear, fingers lingering in that space just above her neck. she’s unwilling to ruin the careful silence they’ve fostered so soon, but she longs to remark upon the pensive expression present on his countenance.

azem leans her cheek into his palm. when she finally, _finally_ presses her lips to his, he shivers; the warmth emanating from her is intoxicating, all-encompassing. he could drown in the wash of sun she pours into him. emet-selch drinks her down with the passion of a parched man, tasting bergamot and wine on her tongue. she smiles into the kiss and he _breaks_ , unable to hold himself back. 

hades winds his arm around her, holding her flush to his chest while he flips their positions. 

' I have been without you for far too long, my dear. ' 

caged in between his palms, her breath stutters as his lips brush the column of her neck. 

' and just how do you think _I_ feel? ' persephone retorts, voice a modicum higher than before. ' as if I have not been starved of you as well? '

hades grins madly into the crook of her neck, teeth grazing the pebbled skin. 

' I had only dared hope. ' 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! as always, you can support me at @opheliamardun on twitter <3


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